Why elite BW is so whitewashed? - Page 3

Originally posted by: InspectorShirke

It means that in the head of BW elite, UK is still that posh country where all the white people drink tea, wear suits, are formal with the greetings etc but in reality the new generation of white people is changing, they are not as conservative as their forefathers, appropriate different cultures especially the black culture etc

I promise you this is the entire world’s stereotypical view of the UK. Not just BW elite. Also you have a pretty London centric view by the sounds of it. Don’t judge a country by one of the most diverse cities in the entire world. You’ll probably find that outside that little bubble, you have enough closet Farage supporters, BNP supporters etc.

I feel that Bollywood as a whole is losing touch with rural/small town India. The foreign educated new generation of actors and crew, the script written first in English and then translated to Hindi, the sets- all look like cheap knockoff copies of Hollywood movies (War, I hate love stories). There's a market for that all right. But there's an even bigger market consisting of the rest of India who are feeling sidelined. They don't see themselves onscreen anymore. Why else would you think movies like Bareilly ki barfi, Stree and Ayushmann's movies were huge hits and set a trend? But at the same time the current star kids have to rely completely on their director's vision to play these characters while actors like Ayushmann or Rajkummar Rao could bring something of their own to the table. Because they have seen that India. They have seen these characters.

Originally posted by: capricornrcks

I feel that Bollywood as a whole is losing touch with rural/small town India. The foreign educated new generation of actors and crew, the script written first in English and then translated to Hindi, the sets- all look like cheap knockoff copies of Hollywood movies (War, I hate love stories). There's a market for that all right. But there's an even bigger market consisting of the rest of India who are feeling sidelined. They don't see themselves onscreen anymore. Why else would you think movies like Bareilly ki barfi, Stree and Ayushmann's movies were huge hits and set a trend? But at the same time the current star kids have to rely completely on their director's vision to play these characters while actors like Ayushmann or Rajkummar Rao could bring something of their own to the table. Because they have seen that India. They have seen these characters.

1. I assume they make business decisions based on what can earn them most money. Perhaps the slick, glam type movies make more moolah.

2. The 2nd/3rd/4th gen BW kids are not just unfamiliar with small-town/rural India; they don't seem to know anyone lower in financial class than the rich, the very rich, and the filthy, stinking rich. You can't create art from what you don't know. So in their movies, a middle class worker bee can take off on a month's road trip through Europe, a poet can live in a mansion, anyone can make a decision on following their dream without worrying about how they're going to pay for food, housing, and medical bills.

Ayushman's movies work not just because small-town India sees itself in them, but because they actually make sense in the scenario.

I've complained ad nauseum about ZNMD where 3 apparently middle class guys get to do all that. I mean, really!

Then there's something like the SOTY universe. KJo's idea of anyone not rich. 😆

I don't know... perhaps their world IS that superficial. Just don't know how they remain sane.

Originally posted by: HearMeRoar

1. I assume they make business decisions based on what can earn them most money. Perhaps the slick, glam type movies make more moolah.

2. The 2nd/3rd/4th gen BW kids are not just unfamiliar with small-town/rural India; they don't seem to know anyone lower in financial class than the rich, the very rich, and the filthy, stinking rich. You can't create art from what you don't know. So in their movies, a middle class worker bee can take off on a month's road trip through Europe, a poet can live in a mansion, anyone can make a decision on following their dream without worrying about how they're going to pay for food, housing, and medical bills.

Ayushman's movies work not just because small-town India sees itself in them, but because they actually make sense in the scenario.

I've complained ad nauseum about ZNMD where 3 apparently middle class guys get to do all that. I mean, really!

Then there's something like the SOTY universe. KJo's idea of anyone not rich. 😆

I don't know... perhaps their world IS that superficial. Just don't know how they remain sane.

I think right now there's a market for all kinds of movies. The audience appreciate the extra attention given to getting the accent, body language,costumes etc right. As you said we can only create/write about what we know about. Anand L. Rai also said something similar about his films and Zoya Akhtar's. There should be space for all. At least the actors can be taught to some extent by the directors. Perhaps get some additional coaching on diction etc. But I'm more worried about the creators. As you said they're strangely myopic about the rest of India and the ignorance is appalling. The scenario reminds me strongly of Marie-Antoinette and her "Let them eat cake" story. When the local influence is confined solely to the songs and perhaps the costumes they run the risk of alienating the rest of India. The audience might look towards Regional cinema to get their fix. Or even towards Hollywood movies (Why settle for a cheap copy when the original is so easily available).

If Ayushman's movies were doing very well in small town India and in single theaters they'd be making far more money.

ZMND had one filthy family rich guy, one upper middle class trader (doing well enough to plan retirement at 40), and one lower middle class writer. What each of them could afford was quite delineated.

Only AK's Dreamgirl and Badhaii Ho have more than 1cr footfalls - and both less than ZMND.

https://boxofficeindia.com/india-footfalls.php?actorid=336&role=24

Both kinds of films appeal more to urban audiences than small towns which are currently in danger of losing 1,500 to 2,000 single screens. It's the 200c- 300cr+ Blockbusters and Masala films that do best there and keep those theaters in business. They're why Salman has had all these blockbuster hits for his action films the last decade.

https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/india-could-lose-up-to-2-000-movie-screens-as-content-pipeline-remains-empty-11606625952810.html

“A single screen property can cost up to Rs50 crore. How long can you hold on it especially when you weren’t making much even before covid?" Chauhan said referring to Bollywood’s increasing alienation of small-town audiences and its tendency to appeal more to urban, multiplex goers with films like Article 15, Gully Boy and others.

Originally posted by: Talis

If Ayushman's movies were doing very well in small town India and in single theaters they'd be making far more money.

ZMND had one filthy family rich guy, one upper middle class trader (doing well enough to plan retirement at 40), and one lower middle class writer. What each of them could afford was quite delineated.

Only AK's Dreamgirl and Badhaii Ho have more than 1cr footfalls - and both less than ZMND.

https://boxofficeindia.com/india-footfalls.php?actorid=336&role=24

Both kinds of films appeal more to urban audiences than small towns which are currently in danger of losing 1,500 to 2,000 single screens. It's the 200c- 300cr+ Blockbusters and Masala films that do best there and keep those theaters in business. They're why Salman has had all these blockbuster hits for his action films the last decade.

https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/india-could-lose-up-to-2-000-movie-screens-as-content-pipeline-remains-empty-11606625952810.html

“A single screen property can cost up to Rs50 crore. How long can you hold on it especially when you weren’t making much even before covid?" Chauhan said referring to Bollywood’s increasing alienation of small-town audiences and its tendency to appeal more to urban, multiplex goers with films like Article 15, Gully Boy and others.

Ayushmann's films are niche. But he's slowly but surely building up his fan base with his back to back hits. His audiences include the urban as well as that portion of small town audience who are educated, who have had exposure to a better quality of movies via OTT. The latter will watch a Salman Khan extravaganza all right. But they are also gratified to be represented on screen after a long time. Their towns are being shown,their way of life is shown, their stories are being told by the likes of Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann. That link to Mint talks about how Regional cinema is coming to the rescue of small theaters. The recent popularity of Malayalam films have a lot to do with those films telling the story of the middle class as well as the low class. You do not need to go to Corsica or Spain to find yourself or grow up. This existential crisis can occur to a small town photographer or a 18 year old high-school dropout girl who has never been outside her small town as well. Growing up and changing yourself can happen anytime,anywhere.